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Topic : Staying Motivated

Share your tips and strategies to stay motivated and on the path. You can do this!

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Stay aware of plateaus and sidetracks...

I wanted to say congratsulations to you! I know how hard it is to lose weight. I too gained weight while pregnant, but the problem is I am still battling it. Do you have any advice for me to stay motivated. I seem to do great for awhile and then all of the sudden something will happen and it throws me off course. For example, several weeks ago I was doing great..exercising, eating better foods..then I got sick with the flu and I felt so awful that I stopped doing my exercises never even thinking I was quitting for good. Here I am 4 weeks later and I have completely stopped. I hate it when I do that, but sometimes it almost feels like I can't help it. I know that isn't true. I am in control of me, but I tell myself that anyway. Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated by any of you who have gone through it or who has been through it. Once again...congrats on the weight loss. I bet you look great!

jamrod

Things will always come up when you are trying to lose weight: parties, holidays, vacations, funerals, illnesses, etc. The list is endless because that's life. If you go off the active weight loss program, look at it as an opportunity to practice weight maintenance. Really, that's the skill most of us have to master. How many times have you lost and gained it back? You may not have lost everything you wanted to when you backslid, but it would have been better to stay at that level rather than gaining it all back right? That's why I say use those times as "practice" because when you finally do reach the place you want to be, you will have most of the lessons mastered.
Good luck.

nortiz and ritehere, ....

Things will always come up when you are trying to lose weight: parties, holidays, vacations, funerals, illnesses, etc. The list is endless because that's life. If you go off the active weight loss program, look at it as an opportunity to practice weight maintenance. Really, that's the skill most of us have to master. How many times have you lost and gained it back? You may not have lost everything you wanted to when you backslid, but it would have been better to stay at that level rather than gaining it all back right? That's why I say use those times as "practice" because when you finally do reach the place you want to be, you will have most of the lessons mastered.
Good luck.

Hey there. Please forgive me for not responding sooner. I have had computer problems and haven't been able to get online. Thanks so much for the kind response from both of you. It was much needed advice and gave me encouragment. Again, sorry for keeping you waiting for a response.

Staying Motivated

On the old format, there used to be a place you could go to on the Weight Loss Challenge boards to find buddies in your area. There were lists of towns, states and even countries. I'm sure they still have them, but I haven't looked them up on the new format. You might want to give that a try.
Hooray for you in taking this step and good luck.

Sorry, I havent got back to you, I havent been on line for a while. I looked under the weight loss community and I cant find anything there. The old format??? Im lost there.

Old format

Sorry, I havent got back to you, I havent been on line for a while. I looked under the weight loss community and I cant find anything there. The old format??? Im lost there.

Thanks

This whole site was changed in September, that's why I referred to the old format.
Anyway, if you go to the message boards, then choose the "Losing Weight " category, then click on "Find Weight Loss Buddies In Your Area" you will find posters from all over. If there's no category for your area, you can start your own thread asking to set up one in your area.
Good Luck.

hmmmm I'm really tired of being at this same place....

Well, yesterday I continued to allow the INTENSE WORK I did on Sunday to flow with me. I stood up to my FEARS and was able to catch what I was saying to myself on paper. And if the thoughts were too fast, I was able to acknowledge they were positive in nature. I really felt good about how I've turned my thought patterns around so quickly. &nbsp

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I'm rev'ing up to lose weight again. Starting with my Key 3, Step 5 exercise: Clean my closets out. I know that one of the fears is clothing - it goes back to my deprivation issues - which believe it or not don't seem so important anymore. I know that I can purchase clothes or for that matter, they will be given to me. That's one of the reasons I'm having so many problems with clothes - I have over 50 Tshirts that I can wear right now and I receive about 2-3 new ones a month. I'm always getting bags from my mom with clothes in them. Her senior center gives them to her to sell for a QUARTER. Jeans too!&nbsp

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I have been reflecting on how I've been doing the 7 Keys and I keep wanting it to happen RIGHT NOW - it won't because I'm not ready to go any faster than I am already. I have chosen to handle the WALLS that keep me from my weight loss goal. That means learning to cook, to keep my home, and take care of me. Those 3 things are all connected together in my thoughts. That's because all 3 have been life long dreams that I turned into goals. I can not do 1 without doing the other.&nbsp

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I can not believe it's year 2 now and I've only released 15.25 lbs (and that was in 2004). Now, I am calmer, I understand what stops me from my heart's desire. and I'm staying motivated all this time - 2 years .... isn't that amazing?!! It really surprises me. &nbsp

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My ultimate goal is to maintain my weight loss and that means I need to be educated, experiment to find out what works for me, and to BEHAVE/practice until it just is me. &nbsp

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Isn't it weird ... 2 years later and I'm motivated still. I know (and it's scaring me to death to say it out loud) that it means that I will keep it off because I will know how to deal with the stressors that make me turn to food. Hell, it's been over 2 months now since I purchased a bag of chips. I don't use it to numb myself out anymore - and chocolate, well, that's going to be going away soon too. I don't like it anymore. It's just a habit - a food that makes me numb myself when I'm stressed out.&nbsp

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I am motivated and still going strong after 2 years. Isn't that a BIG WOW moment!&nbsp

Dr Phil's weight loss book!

i am a 30 year old female looking to lose at least 50-60 pounds, but i just need some motivation on how to get started and stick to it any suggestions out there?

1. Go buy the book.
2. Read the chapter on what foods to eat first, and immediately clean out your kitchen. Get rid of anything that's not on the list. Don't get bogged down in thoughts of waste or what the junk cost you, just get rid of it.
3.Go back to the beginning and read the rest of the book and start applying the lessons.

I've found that starting the eating program by cleaning out the junk and replacing it with the foods listed, then reading the rest of the book works well. It works because the first week is all will power whether we admit it or not. So if you just plunge right in there and get started, reading the rest of the book will keep you on track and motivated as the will power fades. The lessons you learn about programing and environment control come in at the right time. Plus, if you jump right in, there's no reading, and then saying to yourself, "I can see how this will work, but I won't start till next week."

Today is day 1 AGAIN!

I've been at this place so many times - ready to begin to lose weight so I can finally live the healthy life style I've dreamt of for so long. In fact, I'm wondering if it will work ... will I be able to make it this time without getting derailed because a life event has happened. &nbsp

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It's my 2nd year. I'm not unhappy about being derailed so much as it' helped me to focus on my faulty thinking. I have mastered Key 3 and 4 in it's entirely. In fact, I'm close to bringing closure to Key 3, Step 5: Clean out my closets. It's been hard for me because of the many different issues I have had to embrace so that I could heal them. For example, my clothes represent deprivation issues from my childhood and then became painful memories of my old workplace. All of which I have had to deal with.&nbsp

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Now, I've written up my food journal/log and I'm implementing 1 more level of exercise into my life right now. So far, I have 3 different types of exercise and all of them are really okay with me.&nbsp

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I have a support group that will help me to focus and maintain my commitment to a healthy life style. I have researched and experimented along the way to HERE and I feel really comfortable about finally letting go of my fears. I have even spent the last few months learning about FEAR and learning to take the tiny little wee small steps needed to move closer and close to my goal.&nbsp

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I, MARCIA YVONNE, HEREBY COMMIT TO DOING ALL THAT IT TAKES TO LIVE THE HEALTHY LIFE STYLE THAT I CAN SEE CLEARLY IN MY MIND'S EYES. &nbsp